How Much Salt to Add to Unsalted Butter?

You will find on the market both salted and unsalted butter. If you prefer salted butter but you have only unsalted butter available, you can add the salt yourself. It is important to know how much salt to add to your butter so you don’t end up with butter that tastes too salty.

Plus, if you make your own butter, you will want to control the salt you add even more. Either way, the quantity of salt you use in your butter can significantly impact the taste of your food.

The general rule says to add half a teaspoon of salt to every two cups of butter. However, the level of salt you add will be up to your personal preference.

How Much Salt To Add in How Much Butter?

The amount of salt you decide to add to your butter will ultimately be up to you and your personal preference. But as long as you taste it along the way you will not end up with a butter that is too salted.

Stick to 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every 2 cups of butter if you prefer lightly salted butter. Increase the quantity if you want butter that is saltier.

Following the table above will make it easier for you and over time you will learn from your experience as you discover how much salt you like in your butter. 

Why Use Unsalted Butter Then Add Salt?

Supermarkets also offer the option to purchase butter that is already salted, so you might wonder why purchasing the unsalted one if you want butter with salt? It’s because you have control over the salt quantity you add.

Controlling how much salt you add to butter and food, in general, can help you maintain good health while you enjoy the taste you love. Plus, you can choose just the type of salt you add according to your preferences as there are many options on the market.

How Do You Add Salt To Homemade Butter?

Maybe you don’t want to buy butter at all but you want to make it instead. Making butter is not a complicated process and it takes no time until you can enjoy the final result. In less than one hour you can have a delicious homemade butter salted just the way you like it.

All you need are heavy cream and salt. For 1 cup of butter, you will need 2 cups of heavy cream. Choose one without other seasonings in it. As for the salt, you can use any type of salt you want.

First, you will need to allow your cream to sit for half an hour at room temperature. When the time passed start mixing it in a wide bowl. You will be mixing it for at least eight minutes at maximum speed.

As you mix your cream you will notice that the butter starts to separate from the liquid. When you notice small pieces of butter floating in the liquid inside the bowl you can reduce the speed of your mixer. You will keep mixing though until the butter pieces come together like a puzzle.

Once your mixing is done you will use a strainer to get rid of the liquid and only keep the butter inside the bowl. Take the butter in your hands and squeeze it to eliminate any extra water. This is the time you will also add your salt as you knead the butter in your hands.

Now it’s time to determine how much salt you want to add to the butter. The general rule says you get highly salted butter if you add 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of butter. Check the table above to know how much salt you need to add per cup of butter.

Homemade butter will last up to three weeks in the fridge and six months in the freezer. You can even add some herbs or other seasonings to your homemade butter according to your personal taste.

Can I Use Salted Butter When it Calls for Unsalted?

Butter is a common ingredient in plenty of recipes. But some call for salted butter while others require unsalted butter. What can you do if you have salted butter but your recipe asks you to use unsalted butter, then?

You can use your salted butter, being it homemade or store-bought, even if your recipe calls for unsalted butter. Add the same quantity of butter but keep an eye on the extra salt you add to your dish.

Since you are using salted butter, you might want to skip the extra salt in the recipe or reduce it significantly. The quantity of salt you add to your recipe depends also on how salty the butter is. Keep tasting your food to end up with the best taste.

Conclusion

Adding salt to unsalted butter is something you can do at home. Regardless of the type of butter you have, homemade or store-bought, adding salt is the same process.

It is important to not overdo it because you don’t want to end up with butter that is too salty. If you do add too much salt to butter, you will not be able to fix the taste of it.

This is why is important to start with a small quantity of salt and taste your butter before you increase the quantity of salt you add.  Follow the tips and information in this guide and you will get delicious salted butter to enjoy on your toast or in any other dishes.